Rags to Riches
by Velvet Laughter
Summary: Bethany's waited her whole life to meet her father, she has no idea he's the notorious billionaire playboy, or the crime fighting batman. Her life is about to get a lot more interesting. T because I like violence  D
1. Chapter 1

**I had this posted before on a different account, but took it down because I wasn't happy with it...so I changed somethings and split up the chapters so that they weren't so long o.o hope you enjoy it!**

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT own batman...o.o but I'd like to rent him for a few hours XD**

**Rags to Riches**

-Chapter1-

Bethany Hayes sat outside her social worker's office in the nearly empty waiting area. It was only ten am and the office had just opened so it made sense that it was practically deserted. She glanced around at the beige colored walls. She hated how office buildings always seemed to use the same colors. All creamy whites or beige's. Those were such boring colors. They didn't seem to bug her so much today, she barely noticed them at all. She was rather anxious to find out why she had been called in to see her social worker. She had just been placed in her fourth foster home a little while ago, and she was afraid she was about to be shuffled around again. Though she didn't know why, she had gotten along pretty well with her new family, but she hated moving from home to home, and whenever she was called in to see her social worker that always seemed to be the reason. Since her parent's deaths a year ago she had been constantly moved from one place to another.

"Hey Beth, come on in." Susan said standing in the open doorway.

Beth was caught off guard by her sudden appearance, though if she had been paying attention she would have heard the door open, it was just behind the waiting area. With a heavy sigh she stood up, out of the hard plastic chair, and walked to Susan's office glumly.

"Have a seat." Susan said indicating the seat in front of her desk as she took her own seat behind it.

Beth glanced around the office. It was a nice place to work. The first social worker Beth had had, Melanie, had a very crowded, messy office. Papers everywhere, the desk covered with folders for different cases, her jacket thrown carelessly over chairs or the door knob.

Susan was the complete opposite of Melanie. She had neat piles of folders on the filing cabinet in the corner across from the door. And any papers found on her desk were stacked neatly ready for filing. She had pictures of her husband and three year old daughter, Ally. And there was bright paintings hung on the walls. It all set a pleasant atmosphere, and eased some of Beth's tension.

"Cheer up!" Susan said with a bright smile. "I have some good news."

Beth perked up at this. She thought maybe despite earlier fears of being shuffled around again her current foster parents had decided to adopt her, rather then send her away. That made her happy, she liked this current family. Beth stayed silent though. She didn't want to get her hopes up only to have them dashed.

"We found your father."

Stunned silence followed Susan's statement. It took Beth a minute to process this. She had completely given up on finding her biological father. He obviously hadn't wanted anything to do with Beth if he ignored her for the sixteen years of her life when her mother was alive, and continued to pretend she didn't exist even after her mother's death.

"Aren't you happy?" Susan asked slightly crestfallen. "We've finally found him, and he seemed pretty eager to meet you!" Susan said more enthusiastically.

"You talked to him?" Beth asked shocked, and just a little angry.

Beth had always thought if they found him any contact made would be up to her. I guess that was a silly thought considering she was still considered a minor for another year. She felt slightly anxious, and more then a little sick. What if he met her and didn't like her? Or what if she didn't like him? Did she even really want to meet him after all this time? She couldn't even think straight with this new information. Her emotions on the topic were all over the place. Somehow though, she knew she had to meet him. Just to see for herself what kind of man he was. Maybe he even had a good excuse for never trying to contact her. She guessed she owed it to her own restless wonderings to find out why she had had to grow up with out him. Not that she had actually known about him until last year.

"Yes, just last night. He said he was going to come and get you himself today." Susan informed me.

She wore a slightly guarded expression, unsure how Beth would take this news. And again Beth was left stunned. Today? He was coming today? She was out of time to think about what She wanted. Apparently all decisions had already been made without her.

"What time?" Beth asked, her voice devoid of emotion.

"Four pm. You have the rest of the day to pack. I've already talked to the Mason's about this."

_ Four pm? Today...at four pm I have to meet my dad? That's not enough time to get ready...And I don't want to leave the Mason's! _Beth took a deep breath to calm her racing thoughts.

"Okay..." She said trailing off. "I should get going then." She said standing and walking to the door.

"Just remember to be here at four." Susan said, Beth could hear her soft footsteps as she stood and followed her to the door.

She laid a cool, dry hand on Beth's as she turned the knob and opened the door.

"I think you'll like him, he seemed like a very nice man."

Beth resisted the urge to snort. _A nice man that abandoned me_. She thought harshly. It made her slightly angry everytime she thought about him, but she only sighed instead.

"We'll see." She said as she walked out the door.

* * *

Yours truly, velvet x


	2. Chapter 2

**Heres chapter 2. This one is a bit longer then the last. I hope y'all like it!**

**-Chapter 2-**

Bethany walked blindly through the now crowded building, muttering a small apology when she collided with an older man, but kept walking. Mrs. Mason was waiting outside for her in the van, Meggie hadn't wanted to come in so she just offered to drop Beth off and pick her up. Beth walked out of the dimly lit building into the blazing sun, squinting her eyes to see better and find where Meggie had parked the van. It didn't take to long to find it. Walking over she climbed into the front passenger seat and buckled up.

Beth stared out the window lost in her own thoughts as Mrs. Mason pulled out of the parking lot and into the late morning traffic. Without Beth's bidding images of her biological father appeared in her mind. She wondered what he would look like, or talk like. What kinda of clothes he would wear, suits, or blue jeans and T-shirts? Would he be business like or casual acting? Would he have a beard or be clean shaven? These thoughts were driving her crazy. She had no idea where the sudden curiosity came from. She had never really thought about him overly much after that first month of waiting for her social services case worker to find him. But when she realized it most likely wasn't going to happen she stopped herself from wondering to much about a man she would never meet.

Mrs. Mason didn't try to talk to Beth as they drove, she just left her with her thoughts. It's one of the things Beth liked most about Meggie. She wasn't one to fill up silence's with small talk. She had a way of sensing when someone wanted to talk and when they didn't. She would miss Mrs. Mason. Beth had only been living with Mrs. Mason and her family for three months, but Meggie reminded her so much of her mother. Meggie was so nurturing and kind. She had two kids of her own yet still made the time to become a foster parent and take care of children that weren't her own, and she had treated them all the same. Her husband was a kind man to. He was always willing to take time out to just hang out with us all. He was just now trying to teach Beth how to play baseball, and she really liked it. Beth felt a tear slid down her cheek as they pulled into the drive way of the small white house. She wiped it away hurriedly.

Getting out of the car she walked down the short walkway, stopping to look up at the small house. It looked small, but it still managed to fit them all comfortably. There were two floors and a basement. It was a furnished basement and there were rooms down there for the foster kids, as well as two spare rooms, one on the first floor and one on the second for foster kids. Her two kids both had room's on the second floor with Mr. and Mrs. Mason. Which made sense since they were only two and three years old and needed to be close to their parents.

Mrs. Mason patted Beth's shoulder, startling her into jumping.

"Come on honey, you have a lot of packing to do before four." She said sadly.

Beth felt guilty that this was making Meggie sad. She could have chosen to stay here with Meggie and her family. She would have to, if she hadn't felt a slight pull towards meeting her biological father, and seeing what he was like.

"It's ok. I wouldn't expect anything else." Mrs. Mason said with a smile, as if she could read Beth's thoughts, or maybe her expression gave her away.

With a sigh Beth walked into the house with Mrs. Mason. Meggie walked into the kitchen to clean up from breakfast and get an early start on lunch. The two other foster children were at school so she only had to make lunch for Beth, her husband Mark, and her two kids.

Beth walked down to her basement bedroom and looked around at the small, cozy room. The walls were painted a pale shade of blue. She had hung all her mothers family pictures on the wall beside the door. And the rest were set up on the old wooden dressers that had been here for her to use. Walking over to the closet Beth pulled out her two duffel bags and set them on her bed. Going to the old dressers she started pulling out clothes and placing them neatly in the bags. She didn't have much clothes so they all fit neatly into the bags leaving enough room for her other things. After the clothes were packed she left the room and walked to the corner of the basement where all the old newspapers were kept. Grabbing a small stack of the old papers she walked back to her room and began wrapping up all the pictures. Her glass figurines came next.

They were all figurines of angels and fairies. Her mom had bought her one for each birthday. Some had been broken though. It had happened in the second foster home Beth had been sent to. The woman who had taken her in had a daughter of her own. She was around Beth's age and insanely jealous that another girl was moving in. They had never gotten along, but Beth tried to get past it for the most part and give her her space. One day though, She had come home to find Alyssa had smashed four of her figurines and she had been so mad. All Beth could see was red and she had gone straight to Alyssa's room and punched her. They had both wound up looking pretty bad after the resulting fight, and the next day Beth had come home from school to find her bags packed and Susan waiting for her on the steps.

Beth zipped up the bags when she had finished packing. She heard Mrs. Mason calling her from upstairs and took a quick look at the clock. It was twelve thirty already. Beth ran upstairs and into the kitchen where Mrs. Mason had laid out lunch on the table. She was seating Timmy and Sean in their booster seats at the table. Being only toddlers they were still to small to reach the table on their own. And Mark was sitting beside them. Meggie took a seat on the other side of the kids to make sure they didn't make too big of a mess.

Lunch wasn't very big, just fries and grilled cheese sandwiches. Meggie didn't usually cook big meals aside from dinner.

Beth felt her throat tighten at the sight. She would miss having family meals with them like this. She quickly took her seat. Not feeling very hungry at the moment she mostly just played with her food. Trailing her fries through the ketchup and nibbling at the grilled cheese every so often, idly wondering if her dad could cook. Or if she would have to do the cooking. The Mason's were quiet for the most part, they ate and helped the little ones eat their food with out causing to much of a mess. Before long Mrs. Mason was walking around the table collecting the dirty dishes. She stopped when she came to Beth's, noticing her barely touched food.

"Not hungry?" She asked concerned. "You should eat, it'll make you feel better."

"Sorry...I'm not really hungry." Beth told her apologetically.

Beth got up and picked up her plate, taking the stack of dirty dishes from Meggie and walking over to the garbage. She scraped all the uneaten food off and into the garbage before going to the sink and washing the dishes.

"You should let me do that."

"It's ok, Mrs. Mason I have it. I'm done my packing so I have time." Beth told her.

"How many times do I have to tell you to call me Meggie?" She asked teasingly.

"Sorry..Maggie." Beth said with a smile.

The next couple of hours passed by quickly as Beth played with Timmy and Sean. Before she knew it, it was three forty-five and they were packing her bags into the van and Meggie was getting ready to take her back to the social services offices. Beth stood beside the van with Mr. Mason and the two kids. She sniffed back tears as she hugged Timmy and Sean.

"It'll be awfully quiet around here without you." Mr. Mason said as Beth stood to hug him after finishing her goodbyes with the kids.

She just nodded into his shoulder before letting him go and walking around the front of the van to get into the passenger seat. Mrs. Mason was already in the car. Mark and the toddlers stood in the driveway waving until they were out of sight.

Beth could feel the tears streaming from her eyes. She tried hard to hold them back, but it just wasn't working. Even though it hadn't been long that she was there, they had been the kindest people, it was hard leaving them. She wiped at her eyes with the sleeve of one arm. Mrs. Mason reached over and wrapped a slim hand around the hand Beth had resting on her leg. Maggie squeezed it reassuringly.

"You can always visit. And if you find you don't like living with your father you're always welcome back with us." She told Beth taking her eyes off the road for a moment to look at the young girl, and make sure she had heard.

Beth nodded her head, pretty much all she was capable of at the moment. "Tell," her voice came out a croak, she cleared it before continuing. "Tell Andy and Tatiana I'll miss them." Those were the other two foster children living with Mrs. Mason and her husband.

"I will." Meggie said, as the car came to a stop. "We're here."

Quickly Beth wiped her eyes with the tissue Meggie handed her. "Thanks."

Meggie pulled Beth into a tight embrace once she had her seat belt off. She rubbed Beth's back soothingly before letting her go.

"Remember to call me once you get in!" Meggie said as Beth opened her door and slid out.

She walked into the building after grabbing her bags from the trunk.

The building, as it had been this morning when she had first gotten there, was empty again. Instead of going straight to Susan's office she turned down the small hallway just before the waiting area and walked into the woman's washroom. Locking the door behind herself, she set her bags down on the tiled floor. Quickly she washed her face trying to cover up any signs of crying. It didn't quite work. Her eyes were blood shot and slightly puffy. Doing the best she could before finally picking up her bags and unlocking the doors. She walked back out into the hall and quickly to the receptionist's desk.

"Excuse me, I'm here for Susan Townsend." Beth told the woman behind the desk once she had reached it.

"There you are!" Susan called as she walked across the small space from her office to the reception desk. "We've been waiting for twenty minutes." Her voice slightly reprimanding.

Beth checked her watch and sure enough it was four twenty. She gulped rather loudly in the quiet room. Suddenly Beth wanted to run back to Meggie's van, though she knew Mrs. Mason was already gone. Beth didn't want to be here right now. She didn't want to meet her father anymore. It was slightly terrifying to think about. So many things could go wrong. He could be an asshole, or a drunk, what if he hated her?

"Come on." Susan said as she wrapped an arm around Beth's waist and proceeded to pull her towards the office door.

"M-my bags." Beth stammered out, remembering she had set them down.

"Its ok Lauren can look after your things."

Beth gulped again before taking a deep, calming breath. _Just breath, just breath. _She thought frantically. This was one of the most terrifying experiences in her life, second only to losing her parents.

Beth pulled Susan's arm from around her waist just before they reached the partially closed door to Susan's office. Beth straightened her shirt distractedly, even though it was already straight. She quickly ran her hands down the pleated skirt she was wearing, smoothing it out, Beth had completely stopped walking as she began to fuss with her dark brown hair, pushing it back behind her ears and running her hands through it, trying to detangle any pieces that had been messed up. She was so nervous she was finding any way to stall.

Susan reached out and grabbed one of Beth's slightly shaking hands. "Relax sweety. He's a very nice man, I'm sure everything will be fine." She said smiling as she again began to pull Beth into the office.

Trying as hard as she could not to look like a nervous wreck Beth followed Susan as she pushed open the door.

Beth could see the back of her father. He was standing, looking out the small window into the streets. He turned when they walked in and Beth froze. She felt like a deer caught in the headlights. He looked like her. Beth had his brown eyes, and the same thick, dark brown, hair. She had the same lips as him to, the bottom one slightly more filled out then the top, though still thin. Her features though were softer and more delicate, and her skin was paler, these traits she got from her mother. He was quite tall to compared to her five foot four inch height. He wore what looked like a pretty expensive suit, and his hair was combed back out of his face. He was quite attractive despite being in his thirties.

"This is Mr. Bruce Wayne." Beth looked at Susan as she spoke.

The name sounded familiar. She could swear she had heard it before...maybe her mother had said something about him? Beth didn't think so though, she would have remembered.

XoXoXoX

Bruce walked over to the two women and was quiet a moment as he studied Beth. His eyes were piercing, and Beth felt as if he could uncover every secret or private thought simply by looking at her, it was an extremely unnerving feeling. She shifted from foot to foot uncomfortably, looking away.

"Hello Bethany." Bruce said smiling, offering his hand to shake.

He could see the resemblance she bore to him. And just by seeing this he had no doubt that she was in fact his daughter. He had at first thought it was a scam. Some ploy to get his money. Until he heard her mothers name. Juliet Masters-Hayes. She had only been Juliet Masters when he knew her, but that was in high school and she had been married since then, to Maxwell Hayes.

"J-just Beth." She managed to stutter out and he nodded to show he heard.

He studied the young girl, she seemed nervous. Her hand shook slightly when she hesitantly took his. He could understand her nervousness. He was slightly nervous himself, though he didn't show it.

XoXoXoX

Beth felt awkward standing here with Bruce. She wondered if he felt just as awkward as she did. If he did he hid it well. He looked calm, and held an air of confidence around himself.

"It's nice to meet you." Bruce said smiling still, trying to ease her apparent discomfort.

"It's nice to meet you to." Beth said, though she wasn't exactly sure it was true yet.

Bruce then turned away from her to face Susan and as he brought his other hand up Beth realized he had been holding onto some papers.

"If that's everything we'll be going now." He said politely, handing her the papers.

Beth looked at the papers curiously wondering what they were. Susan caught her looking, and her curious expression.

"They're custody papers." She told Beth.

Beth felt like the breath had been knocked out of her. _Custody papers? That means I'll have to stay with him. _Beth thought frantically. _What if I don't like him?_

"Just a few more last minute things." Susan told Bruce as she shuffled a slightly panicky Beth out of the room to sit in the waiting area while she and Bruce talked for a few more minutes.

Beth waited patiently. Her nerves were still a little frayed, but she was glad to sit out here alone for the time it took for them to finish up.

* * *

Yours Truly, velvet x


	3. Chapter 3

-Chapter 3-

Apparently it was no time at all. A few short minutes later Bruce was coming out of Susan's office. He turned at the door to shake Susan's hand before walking over to the waiting area where Beth was siting, her back to him.

"Are you ready to go?" Bruce asked coming up behind Beth.

Beth, not having heard him, jumped. Quickly getting up she grabbed her two duffel bags.

"Yeah." She said nodding.

"Here let me take those." He said reaching to take the two bags.

Beth protested weakly as he grabbed them, but he brushed her off saying it was fine. She wondered how he could act so calm and collected while meeting his daughter for the first time. _Maybe its just me who freaks out over stuff like this..._

He led Beth outside to the parking lot where a car was parked. An elderly man sat in the drivers seat. Beth wondered then if he had been waiting there the whole time. She certainly hoped not. Especially when she had been late. Beth could see as they got closer to the car, which like Bruce's suit, looked extremely expensive that the man was sleeping, his head leaning back on the headrest. Bruce wrapped softly on the window as they walked by. The elderly man, snapping to full alertness, got out and followed us to the trunk, after unlocking it he put Beth's bags in and closed it again. She noticed then that this was a rental car judging by the plates. She wondered why he rented a car from here to drive back to Gotham...It didn't make sense. Especially not when it was expensive to rent cars here.

"Beth, this is Alfred Pennyworth. My butler and old friend." Bruce said introducing the two.

"Alfred this is Beth." He introduced.

"Pleasure to meet you Miss." Alfred said offering his hand, a small smile playing across his lips.

Beth took it smiling. It wasn't dry and papery like you'd expect from old men. But calloused and rough. She liked Alfred immediately. There was something calming about him.

"Nice to meet you to."

"Well shall we be going now Master Bruce?" Alfred asked.

With a nod from Bruce, Alfred walked back to the driver's side while Bruce got in the back, followed shortly after by Beth. Sliding into the back she shut the door quietly behind herself. Alfred pulled smoothly out of the parking lot and began heading, not out of town, but instead towards the airport.

"I thought we were only going to Gotham?" Beth questioned uncertainly.

"We are." Bruce said smiling. "But its faster if we fly. It'll take two hours or so off the trip." He explained.

Beth blinked, before staring wide eyed. He must be loaded to have flown there, rented a car to use only for maybe an hour or two, and bought tickets for them all to go back.

"What's wrong?" He asked looking slightly worried, as if he'd done something wrong.

"N-nothing." Beth answered quickly before turning to stare out the window.

Silence filled the car as they drove. Beth didn't mind the silence. She sat staring out the window as they passed by all the familiar parks and houses of the small town. After ten minutes or so of silence Beth glanced sideways at Bruce. He was staring at her, a faraway look on his face, as if he was remembering something. The fact that he was staring at her unsettled her a bit.

"What?" She blurted out before she could stop herself.

Her voice had come out sounding sharp and annoyed.

Bruce shook his head slightly, coming back to reality. He noticed Beth's annoyed look and sharp tone.

"Nothing...you just look a lot like your mother." He explained, his voice sad.

"Oh." Beth said, feeling a little awkward.

She turned to look back out the window and the car lapsed once again into silence. Beth sighed softly as she looked on sadly as her town passed before her eyes, she wouldn't be here again for a long time. She would miss the familiarity of the small town. She wondered then what it would be like in a big city like Gotham.

It didn't take long before they reached the airport and Beth found out that they weren't just flying back, they were taking a private jet. Bruce's private jet. Her jaw dropped as she was led out to the plane.

"You have a private jet?" She asked loudly, and just a tad incredulously.

Bruce smiled indulgently at her, while Alfred laughed at her outburst. This was like some kind of messed up fairytale, it was obvious Bruce had a lot of money. _Maybe he even owns a castle_. Beth snorted softly at the thought, _now that's just a bit ridiculous. _She followed them onto the jet as men loaded her luggage on.

It was pretty nice in the jet. There was only a few seats. And there was cabinets filled with snacks and bottles of water.

Beth took a seat farthest from the window. She hated flying. She felt like at any moment the plane could plummet down to the ground and everyone inside would be killed by the crash. It was a scary thought. Bruce sat down across from her on the window side and Alfred sat on the other side of the plane. She guessed he was giving her and Bruce space to talk.

Beth gripped the seat tightly as the jet took off, her stomach felt like it was going to come out through her mouth. She was suddenly extremely grateful that she hadn't eaten lunch. Beth caught Bruce looking at her, concern evident in his eyes and slight frown.

He reached out a hand resting it on her elbow. "Are you alright?" He asked leaning forward to examine Beth's face.

"I don't like flying." She confessed, leaning her head back and closing her eyes.

Bruce's hand disappeared and Beth could hear slight noise as he got up and walked away. She didn't open her eyes though. And Bruce was back a few minutes later.

"Here." He said handing Beth a bottle of water and a small pink pill. "Its Gravol. It should settle your stomach if your feeling sick." He informed her when she looked at the pill suspiciously.

She felt herself blush. Of course it wouldn't be anything bad. He was her dad after all...she was sure he didn't plan on poisoning her. She took the pill and water from him. Twisting off the cap she took a swallow of water before popping the pill in her mouth. She drank some more before re-capping the bottle and setting it on the chair beside her.

"Thanks."

Bruce smiled and nodded. It wasn't long before the pill took affect. Beth's stomach felt better a few minutes later. The day was starting to catch up with her now though. The stress of it was making her sleepy, or maybe that was the pill, she was starting to feel completely drained. She didn't even realize she had fallen asleep until Bruce was gently shaking her awake.

"Beth, Beth wake up. We've landed." Bruce said softly.

"Hmm..." She muttered groggily before snapping up, barely missing Bruce's head, he moved it just in time to stop hers from colliding with his. "Sorry!" Beth gushed apologetically.

She looked around the jet groggily, and realized they were the only ones on it. "Where's Alfred?" She asked suppressing a yawn.

"He took your bags to the car. He's going to bring it around to the front of the airport." Bruce told her.

Beth studied his face intently. He seemed somehow uncomfortable now, or maybe it was worry she saw in his expression. "Listen, I'm a very public figure here. There are going to be reporters and cameras everywhere when we get to the front of the airport."

Beth blinked suddenly surprised, at the mention of reporters the memory of where she had heard the name Bruce Wayne before came to her. It was on the news a few months ago. The reporter had said _'Billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne is alive and back in Gotham after being declared dead and missing for seven years.'_ Beth was shocked by the realization of who her father was. She didn't really know that much about him though. Only what she had seen on the news that one time.

"If you want I can go first and bring Alfred around the back." He suggested, pulling her back from her thoughts.

She thought about this for a minute. If she didn't face the media now she would only have to face them later. But this freaked her out. It was bad enough meeting her biological father for the first time, but now to have the media reporting it..and to have camera's shoved in her face. It all seemed a bit much to deal with on her first day in Gotham. But in the end she decided she would walk with him out the front. She couldn't hide forever. And it would be better to face it now then sit around and let the anxiety of being swarmed by reporters build up.

"No its ok." Beth said with a small smile.

Bruce smiled in response. Beth got up quickly and followed him out of the jet and into the airport. The walk to the front was over to fast for her. She could see the hoards of reporters and camera men as they neared the glass doors of the airport. And then they were stepping out of the airport into the massive crowd. There were flashes everywhere. Bruce had an arm wrapped securely around Beth's shoulders, he pulled her close, shielding her as much as possible from the crowd. The voices of reporters shouting questions all blurred together until Beth couldn't tell who was asking what. She heard Bruce say no comment repeatedly as he pulled her through to the shiny black limo parked along side the curb.

They had almost reached the limo when a pushy reporter and camera man jumped in front of them. Beth was startled and instinctively threw her arm out, fist connecting with the side of the reporters face.

Gasping Beth's hands flew to her mouth. "Oh. My. God." She said, stunned at her own reaction.

"I-I'm so sorry!" Beth said as Bruce continued to pull her to the limo.

Beth could feel Bruce's side shaking as they got in the limo and he let her go. She found out why shortly after when she looked up at his sudden burst of laughter.

"You're...laughing..." Beth said more then a little surprised.

She had thought if anything he would be angry at her for ruining his image or something. It obviously couldn't look that good if his daughter was knocking out reporters.

"Sorry." Bruce said his laughter dying out, a small smile still lingered on his lips. "I can't tell you how many times I've wanted to do that."

Beth nodded she could understand that. She had only had to deal with it for a few minutes, he had had to much longer. Again an awkward silence fell over them. It wasn't that Bethany didn't want to talk to him, it was just that she wasn't sure what to talk about, what questions she was ready to have answered. She really didn't have that many questions for him. Only one. Why had he never tried to contact her? That question nagged at her, but she didn't know if she wanted its answer just yet.

"You don't live in the city?" She asked him when they drove over a bridge, headed to what looked like the country side.

She noticed as they continued to drive that the only houses they passed where big mansions with nicely tended lawns and pretty gardens.

"We live in the Palisades. Just inside the city limits." Bruce informed her.

Bruce looked like he wanted to say more, but he seemed to have trouble finding the words. It was the first time all day that Beth had seen him look awkward. It made her feel just a little bit less awkward herself, to know she wasn't the only one struggling with this.

Beth turned her attention back to the window just in time to see they were pulling up to the biggest house she had ever seen. The wrought iron gates opened, revealing a long driveway that led up to the front of the house. She felt her mouth drop as she gazed up at the house. It looked old, like the beautiful old mansions you see in movies, with ivy climbing the sides of the house.

"Wow..." Was all she could say about her new home.

* * *

Yours Truly, velvet x


	4. Chapter 4

**Enjoy :)**

-Chapter 4-

Beth sat on her new bed glaring at the hated uniform. Alfred had it laid out on the bed. It was the first thing she saw when she opened the door to her room. Bruce had explained to her before he left her to unpack and get settled that the uniform was for Cross Academy, the school she had been enrolled in earlier that day. She grit her teeth as she got off the bed and grabbed one of her duffel bags, dragging it to one of the dressers to unpack and put away her clothes. It was really making her angry that everyone else was making all the decisions about her life. First Susan, before even talking to Beth, went ahead and called Bruce. What if Beth hadn't wanted to meet him? And now Bruce was enrolling her in some stuffy private school that required uniforms! Didn't she have any say in the matter? Its not like she was a toddler, she was seventeen, old enough to make decisions about her life.

She took all of her figurines out of her bag first, setting them beside her where she sat on the floor, before she pulled the clothes out and got up to put them away in the dresser. Once that was done she set her figurines on top of the dresser. The pictures came next, she set the ones of her and her mother and father, she would never stop calling Max her father, she grew up thinking that he was and he had been a good dad, on the nightstands on either side of her huge bed.

Beth looked around the huge room for the first time once she finished her unpacking. It was a pretty nice room. The walls were a pretty boring white and were bare. Bruce had said that was because this had initially been a guest room. He also said she could decorate it any way she wanted. Which meant she would definitely need paint. The bed though was pretty nice. It was big and soft. And the dresser set was nice to. Not a scratch to be seen and the wood gleamed as if it had just been polished. There were sliding doors that opened up onto a balcony that overlooked the gardens in the back of the house. And on the other side of the room was a door that she discovered led to her own bathroom. There was a whirlpool claw-foot tub at the far end of the bathroom, and a shower beside it.

Beth was too busy looking around the bathroom to hear the soft knock on her bedroom door. Alfred wandered into the room until he found her in the bathroom.

"Dinner is ready if your hungry Miss."

Beth spun around slightly startled. She was surprised she hadn't heard Alfred enter the room. She usually had pretty good hearing.

"Sorry." Alfred said apologetically, though his small smile hinted at amusement.

Beth shrugged walking over to where Alfred stood. "So...what's for dinner?" She asked continuing past him to the door.

"Pasta." Alfred answered simply following Beth out of the room.

She stopped just outside the door, realizing she had no idea which way to go. She should have paid more attention when Alfred and Bruce had shown her around, but she had been so awed by the house. Everything had looked so expensive and beautiful. And there were so many rooms she lost track. She hadn't seen the whole house of course, she was sure it would take a while to go through the whole mansion. They had just shown her the rooms the two of them used most, the kitchen, sitting room, Bruce and Alfred's rooms, and the gym. She was shocked to find out that it was only the two of them that lived there, well up til now anyway. It was way too big for just two people.

"Is Bruce eating with us?" Beth asked, she didn't think she could call him dad, at least not out loud.

She found it hard to think of him as her father. He didn't look at all like the father type.

"No, he had some work to do so it'll be just us tonight." Alfred's tone was apologetic.

Beth frowned in annoyance. He should at least eat with me...She thought. It was her first night in a new city, and a new house. And Beth was kind of hoping to get a chance to talk to him. Not really about anything serious, she just figured she should get to know him. And she had thought maybe he would want to get to know her.

Alfred led her down the stairs to the main floor of the house then continued on to the kitchen she'd been shown earlier. It wasn't as big as she thought it would have been compared to the size of the house. It looked cozy. There was an island in the middle of the kitchen with a few stools around it. Over it hung racks with pots and pans hanging off of them. There was a small table set near a pane glass window on the left side of the kitchen, the window faced out over the front of the house.

The smell of whatever Alfred had cooked hit her as she entered the room. It smelt amazing, her mouth started to water and her stomach gave a small rumble. Beth hadn't realized how hungry she was until now.

Alfred gave a low chuckle as they sat at the small table where the food was laid out. Alfred filled a plate with the spaghetti he had made, pouring a thick sauce over it, and handed the plate to Beth who gratefully took it.

"This looks really good Alfred!" She complemented as she dug in.

Silence filled the kitchen as the two ate. Beth was almost finished when she stopped eating and started playing with her food. She was thinking about Bruce. She wanted to ask Alfred about him, but wasn't to sure what to ask. She wished her mother would have talked to her about him.

"Something wrong Miss?" Alfred asked concerned.

"I was just wondering...Do you know, how Bruce met my mom?" Beth asked looking down at her plate.

Alfred gave a small chuckle. "They met at a party during their second year of high school." He explained. "Bruce and your mother dated for a good six months before your grandparent's business collapsed and they moved...Didn't your mother ever talk about Master Bruce?" Alfred asked, brow wrinkled.

Beth shook her head. She had known about her mothers life in Gotham, well she thought she had anyway. Her mother's parents had moved to the small town Beth had grown up in after losing all their money when their company tanked. Her mother had been sixteen then. That would have been shortly after she had gotten pregnant.

"What about me?" Bruce asked walking into the kitchen.

He had just come in the door when he heard his name. And he'd followed the voices to the kitchen.

"I was just asking where you were." Beth said, not really knowing why she was lying, but thankful that Alfred hadn't said otherwise.

"Sorry, I had a...meeting." Bruce told her as he took his seat.

Alfred got up and got a plate from one of the cupboards. He filled the plate with pasta and handed it to Bruce. Everything got quiet again as Bruce began to eat.

Beth continued to play with her food. She wanted to talk to him but wasn't sure what to talk about. She had had a billion questions earlier, but now she couldn't seem to remember one. It was then the image of the uniform on her bed came to mind. She supposed now was as good a time as any to bring up the issue of school.

"Bruce...I don't want to go to a private school." Beth said. "I've always gone to public schools and I don't like the uniform."

"Public schools aren't the safest places here." Bruce said carefully. "I'd prefer it if you went to Cross Academy." Bruce's tone made it clear that he wouldn't allow her to go to a public school, even if he hadn't outright said no.

Beth bristled at the tone of his voice."I've gone to public school all my life I'll be fine. And...I'm not wearing that uniform." She said, her tone ringing with finality.

"Beth-"

"Bruce I'm old enough to choose my own school."

Alfred resisted the urge to laugh, though a small smile crossed his face. It was quite funny watching Bruce go through what Alfred had gone through raising a teenage Bruce. And it seemed as though Beth was just as stubborn.

"Beth you're not going to a public school."

Beth's jaw clenched in anger. This wasn't fair or right. She should be able to attend the school she wanted.

"Considering that you haven't been in my life for seventeen years I don't think you have any right to make decisions about my life." Beth said angrily. She knew she sounded slightly spoiled, and she also knew she probably shouldn't be arguing with Bruce, it was a very bad start if she was going to be living with him for the next year.

Bruce pinched the bridge of his nose. "While your living here you're going to the school I set you up in." Bruce said authoritatively. "That's final."

Bruce got up and took his empty plate to the sink before leaving the room, Beth sat watching angrily as he left.

Beth let out an angry grunt before taking her dishes to the sink and going to her room. Alfred was left alone in the kitchen laughing softly. She couldn't believe he wasn't even going to discuss this with her.

_

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Yours Truly, velvet x  
_


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

A week had passed since she had moved in with Bruce, and things had been going fairly well since their first initial fight. Bruce, it turns out, was hardly ever home. During the day he went out to work, in the evenings he was out acting the billionaire playboy. Beth hardly knew him at all, but she knew he wasn't truly the playboy he pretended to be. And at night he was god knows where. He barely had time to eat meals with her, something she was a little put out about. So mostly it was just her and Alfred.

During the last week she'd spent her time with the friendly British butler. She could see easily why Bruce kept him about. She had quickly taken a liking to the old man, and they had become fast friends as he showed her around Gotham. He also told her a little about her fathers life.

She'd learned his parents had died when he was young, younger even then her when it happened. A mugging, Alfred had been taking care of him since. Something that she was learning through Alfred's stories of his teenage years, and through Bruce's behavior, wasn't an easy task. He was stubborn as could be. It was a trait they shared and she could see why it had driven her mother insane.

She now stood in front of the full length mirror that stood on a stand beside her dresser. She was frowning contemptuously at the uniform she wore. Last night at dinner Bruce insisted she start school today. Something that Bethany had no issue with. The problem came in when she was forced to attend the stuffy private school. Though force was a little strong a word to use. She had caved at the last minute, not wanting to alienate the father she barely knew yet.

The hated uniform consisted of a pleated skirt ending just above her knees, a white blouse, and a blazer. How on earth they managed to get the perfect sizes without her trying anything on was beyond her, but the outfit fit like a glove.

Beth was sitting on her bed pulling on a pair of mid-calf high boots, they were black with pieces of crisscrossing leather ties on the outside of each boot and a nice sized heal of three inches. If she had to wear a uniform she was damned well going to get some say in her shoes. School regulation or not.

A soft knock sounded before her door was pushed open and Bruce walked in. She spared him a glare before going back to zipping up her second boots, which Bruce wisely said nothing about.

"I hope you're happy." Though her tone implied anything but.

"I'm sure you'll like it there." Bruce said, a smile playing about his lips. "Alfred's made breakfast for us, and then I'll drive you to school."

Bethany looked up at him, shock momentarily taking over her features. She had expected Alfred to be the one to drive her. Bruce was usually up and gone before she even rolled out of bed. But she wasn't going to argue. She'd been wanting to spend more time with him. Honestly she'd been more then a little put out by the small amounts of time they spent together. But it was silly of her to expect him to rearrange his life for her. Though sadly enough its what she wanted. She hadn't known him for seventeen years, she thought the least he could do was to get to know her.

She smiled up at him as she stood, "Alright, lets go eat then." She said following him out of the room, grabbing her bag on the way out.

Breakfast was a quiet affair. One would think that changing homes and schools every few months for the last year would have made Bethany immune to the nervousness that normally accompanied such a situation. And to some degree it had. But this was a whole different ball game. This wasn't just a new school. This was a new rich kids school. She would be the outsider in every possible way.

"Are you not hungry, Miss?" Alfred noticed first the way she barely touched her food.

Bruce looked over at Alfred's question, seeing how Bethany just twirled her spoon around in the porridge. She had her chin resting in her hand and her elbow resting on the table. She seemed far from enthusiastic about the day ahead of her.

He frowned, wondering uncertainly if he'd made a mistake in pushing her into Cross Academy. But what else could he do? He wasn't exaggerating when he said it was dangerous. There were plenty of people who would be desperate enough to kidnap her for money. And then their was his secret identity as batman. If anyone ever found out, she would be their first target. But how could he make her understand? This was such unfamiliar territory.

"I'm sorry Bethany-Beth," He corrected when she gave him the 'haven't we been over this look.' causing him to smirk before continuing. "I know you don't want to go to a private school. I'm just trying to do what's best...I don't want anything to happen to you."

Beth looked down at her porridge, taking a small bite to keep her from snapping 'Like what?' But she wasn't foolish. She could put two and two together, he was public, and had billions of dollars. And she was his daughter. Making her an instant target. He didn't deserve to be snapped at for that.

"I know." She sighed.

The rest of the meal went by to quick and Beth found herself staring at her fathers gorgeous Lamborghini. She'd had to snap her jaw shut after seeing it for the first time. She'd never seen a car like this. And her jaw had almost hit the floor when he tossed her the keys. She caught them automatically, gaping at them. She looked at him, eyes wide, before looking back at the keys, and him once more.

"You want to drive it, don't you?" The resulting grin, was bigger even then the one he wore. "Well come on then."

"Oh my god..." She whispered as she slid behind the wheel, her grin turned into a wicked smirk as she buckled her belt and waited for Bruce to do the same.

Once she stuck the key in the ignition she was off like a shot. She glad that her dad had taught her to drive once she turned sixteen. She blew past the gates and sped down the road, forgetting momentarily about speed limits. She had never before gotten to ride anything so fine as this! It almost fully made up for school.

She glanced over at Bruce, giggling when she saw his slightly pale face, and the grip he held on the side of his door. He obviously wasn't used to high speeds, or maybe just not accustomed to having someone else driving at them while he sat in the passengers seat. She slowed down as she reached the city, she was no where near skilled enough to navigate busy city streets at high speeds. And she saw Bruce relax a little out of the corner of her eye.

"You look a little green." She teased.

"Not at all...But I'm driving on the way home."

So he was going to pick her up as well. So now she had something to look forward to. This lifted her spirits and her mood, even more then driving the Lamborghini.

"Thanks."

She smiled at his puzzled look, but didn't elaborate.

Fifteen short minutes later and she was standing in front of the wrought iron gates of her new school. She had her messenger bag slung over one shoulder as she nervously approached the front steps. Bruce had offered to go in with her, but she declined, she regretted that now as she navigated the foreign hallways.

Everyone was staring at her, the worst part being that it wasn't just in her head. They really were staring, and not even trying to conceal it. They whispered about the new Wayne girl, as if she were a scandal. Which, once she thought about it, was true. She was the scandalous, unknown child of Bruce Wayne.

_This is going to be great. _She thought sarcastically.

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Yours Truly, velvet x


	6. Chapter 6

Thanks Beth, and biblicalforte for your reviews =D reviews make me happy, I'm glad you're enjoying it.

And thank you everyone else for the favorite story and alert adds. They aren't reviews but they still make me happy. I'm glad to know people are enjoying what I write =)

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**Chapter 6 ~**

School wasn't quite as unpleasant as Bethany had expected. There were, of course, the scandalous whispers that followed her all day long. But they were easy enough to get used to, she found that outright ignoring them worked best. The high-school was much different then she had imagined it. She was picturing the terrible private schools you see in movies. Where the petty, rich kid, snobs ruled the school and made all the lesser folk miserable. There were the petty, snobbish rich kids. But they mostly just sneered at everyone else and kept to themselves. And not many through out the day seemed brave enough to talk to the illegitimate child of Bruce Wayne.

But there were a few that did. The girls mostly asked silly questions, 'what was it like to live with the billionaire playboy?' 'Do you think I could come over and meet him?' Random things like that. They made Beth snort with laughter. She really didn't see the big deal. Sure he was attractive, but Bruce was just like anyone else. But maybe growing up outside Gotham made her see things differently. Either way, the questions provided some amusement, at least they did until she was asked at lunch by a willowy red head if she knew what kind of women her father liked. Beth was a little creeped out by this question and she was thankful for the interrupting class bell.

After that the day went by pretty quickly, she was now sitting in her last class, Psychology. They had a guest speaker in, Dr. Jonathan Crane. He looked young to be a psychologist, but Beth had always been fascinated by Psychology, its the one class she enjoyed above all others, so despite his young appearance she paid close attention. Dr. Crane had some fascinating views on the minds power over the body. He was brilliant, there was no doubt. But he also seemed to be almost fanatical on the subject, and Beth wondered if anyone else noticed.

She doubted it though, looking around the classroom, she could see a good majority of the students didn't care much for the class, as they sat toying with pens or with their heads in their hands, glancing dreamily out the window. Or maybe they just didn't care for the guest speaker. There were a few though, that paid attention. And of course a few of the girls were paying avid attention to the guest speaker himself.

At first Bethany didn't understand it. He wasn't an overly attractive man. Not at first glance anyway. She studied him as his lecture came to an end. He had high, rounded cheek bones, and full lips that she wasn't used to seeing on men. That combination alone made him seem unattractive. But his eyes were what captured her attention finally. They were an icy, captivating blue, full of intelligence, and something else she couldn't put a name to. They were big and round, giving him a boyish appearance, and they tied his otherwise awkward features together, making him beautiful.

Just as his lecture finished the bell rang, releasing the students for the day. Everyone stood, their chairs scraping against the old wood of the floor. And they filed out, Bethany took up the rear, having been so caught up in Crane that she was one of the last to rise. She followed everyone towards the door, but stopped when she reached the teachers desk and bent to pick up the book Dr. Crane dropped while he was packing away his papers into his brown leather satchel.

"Thanks...Miss Wayne, is it?" He asked, accepting the book. "How did you like my lecture? I noticed you were one of the only ones paying attention." He added ruefully.

She laughed. "It was interesting. It sounds like you've dedicated you're career to studying the effect of mind over body."

He smiled, it was a charming smile. "I have, there's nothing quite as fascinating as the control a person's mind has over ones body. I studied it long before I became a psychologist."

"Yea it is." She agreed. "One of the more fascinating topics of Psychology."

Dr. Crane looked quite pleased to find someone who thought the same way he did on the subject, he opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted before he could utter a word.

"There you are Beth!" Bruce said, sounding relieved to have found her.

Beth was startled, she had completely forgotten that he would be outside waiting. She had let herself get sidetracked by Crane. Not that she minded. He seemed fairly pleasant to talk to, though they hadn't talked for more then a minute or two.

"I'm sorry." She apologized sheepishly, turning to look at her father in the doorway.

He smiled his easygoing smile though, he wasn't angry, he'd only been concerned. But his expression turned dark when he caught sight of Dr. Crane. It was only for a second, had Bethany not been looking directly at him she would have missed it. Even now she thought she might have imagined it. He was smiling still, and offering his hand to the other man.

"Oh! This is Dr. Crane." She introduced, "He was a guest speaker today."

"Nice to meet you Mr. Wayne." Crane said, taking her father's offered hand.

"Like wise, I've heard a lot about you."

The atmosphere in the room had changed completely, Beth could feel the frost coming from Bruce. He disliked Crane, and she had no idea why. Or how he could seem so hostile while smiling and shaking hands.

"Oh? Nothing but good things I hope." Crane's expression said he thought otherwise, he'd picked up on Bruce's hostility.

"Of course -" Bruce was stopped mid sentence.

"Bruce we should get going."

Bruce couldn't have agreed more with her statement. From what he'd heard from Rachel this man wasn't to be trusted. His findings as Batman had furthered that thought. He was only too happy to leave the room. Beth followed quickly behind him after saying a quick good bye to Dr. Crane.

"So... what was that about?" She asked once they'd got to the car and she was doing up her seat belt.

Bruce gave her a sideways look. He thought he'd been subtle enough in his distaste that she wouldn't have caught it. She was more perceptive then he'd given her credit for. It made things harder. He didn't want her to know how corrupt this city was. He wanted to shield her from it. In all honesty, he thought, he never should have brought her here at all. But she was his daughter, and he'd wanted a chance to get to know her.

But now that she was here he was determined to delay the inevitable. He would protect her as much as possible.

"What do you mean?" She hadn't really expected him to answer her, so this came as no surprise.

But Beth was nothing if not stubborn as an ox. Just like dear ol' dad here.

"I mean the glacier look you shot him that he returned fully. The room woulda been ice if you two had gotten any frostier."

Bruce grit his teeth, resisting the curses on the tip of his tongue before shrugging. "I really don't know what you're talking about Beth."

"Yes you do. What is it? You're families have some kind of old world blood feud or something?" She joked. "You may as well cough it out now. I'll wheedle it out of you sooner or later." She promised when he still didn't answer.

She almost thought he was ignoring her. They were ten minutes away from the mansion before he answered her. Seemingly Bruce thought it wiser to answer her now rather then be hounded about it later. Though his tone made it clear he didn't want to talk about it in the least with her.

"He's paid for. He gets a lot thugs out of jail time with a paid for insanity testimony."

But she was shaking her head by the time he'd finished. She'd only just met the man, but she couldn't picture Dr. Crane doing something like that.

"Are you sure you haven't just heard wrong?"

"No I didn't. I have friends in the DA's office." He informed her.

Neither one said anything after that, Bethany was too busy contemplating what he'd said. She wasn't a stupid girl, she knew people weren't always what they seemed. Her father appeared to be a senseless playboy. Which she knew to be false, one day she would have to figure out what he was playing at...So it was possible Dr. Crane allowed himself to be paid off, but she just couldn't _ picture_ it. He seemed to really love psychology, so why jeopardize his credibility in such away? It would make all his studies and theories on his work a waste. But the most important question here was, why did she care? She'd only spent an hour with him, and less then five minutes talking with him. Somehow though he'd made an impression on her.

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Ok so this chapter was like INSANELY hard to write o.o My ADD side decided to rear its ugly head every time I sat down to write this week. Whew, glad I got this out though ^^

Yours truly, velvet x


	7. Chapter 7

Hey ^^ its me again. Thanks for the reviews! Much appreciated! Enjoy the newest update.

~*~Chapter 7~*~

Bethany's first two weeks at school proved exhausting. Private school teachers seemed to like to heap on the homework. There was a bonus though. On Friday of her second week she ran into Dr. Crane again. He was giving a lecture to the grade eleven psychology class. It was after school, Beth had just stashed the books she wouldn't need away in her locker and was heading out to the parking lot where Alfred would be waiting for her when she bumped into him.

"Oh, sorry!" She said with an apologetic smile as she looked up to see who she had bumped into. Her smile widened when she saw who it was.

"Miss Wayne, its good to see you again." He said, his smile matching her own.

"Yes it is, just Beth though." She said waving off the Miss Wayne stuff. "What are you doing back so soon?" She asked curiously as the students milled about them on their way out of the school.

"Another guest lecture. Unfortunately no one in the class seemed to have your enthusiasm for the topic of mind over body."

His expression was disapproving, as if he expected better of the class. It made Beth smirk as she tried to hold back a laugh. They were after all high school students, bored, rich, high school students at that. It wasn't often you found too many that actually cared about learning. Especially on such a topic.

"I guess I'm just different." She said with a shrug.

"That you are." He paused then, as if thinking something over. "How would you like to attend the lecture I'm giving at the university tomorrow night?"

Another smile lit up Beth's face, only to fall flat a moment later. She doubted Bruce would approve of it. Not after their conversation last week after Crane's lecture. He thought the man was pure scum. But she really did want to go, not as much for the lecture as for a chance to meet with Dr. Crane again, outside of school.

"Beth?"

"Sorry," She said sheepishly, having gone silent while she thought it through. "Yes I'd love to come."

Beth looked at her watch then and around the empty hallway. "I really should get going now though, Alfred will be waiting..."

Crane smiled, "Let me walk you out then."

XoXoXoXoX

The next's days lunch was tense. Beth had been trying all morning to figure out how to approach Bruce with this. She didn't want to lie. That hardly seemed right when the two of them were just getting to know each other. Just starting to trust each other. But on the other hand, she really wanted to attend Jonathan's lecture, and she had already said she would. It started in two hours. She bit her lip as she pushed her vegetables around her plate. Bruce was late coming home for lunch, and she wondered if she would even get a chance to ask, when he walked through the kitchen door.

"Hey." He greeted with a smile as he sat down across from her. "Something wrong?" He'd noticed her tense expression and the way she toyed with her food as soon as he had entered the room.

"I have to ask you something, and I need you not to freak out." She had already noticed her father could be moody, and his temper was short at times.

"Ok." Bruce's expression was guarded as he waited.

"I was invited by Dr. Crane to sit in on his lecture at the University tonight-"

"No." He wasn't angry, but his expression was stony.

"Bruce its just-"

"No Beth, you cant go, I'm sorry." Bruce's brow wrinkled as if a troubling thought had just occurred to him. "I thought I told you he was bad news, what were you doing meeting up with him in the first place?"

"I didn't meet up with him, I just bumped into him after another of his lectures at school." Beth said defensively, she was getting a little annoyed herself now. Its not like it was a date, there would be a class room full of college students there.

Bruce finished his lunch and took the plate to the sink, rinsing it off before setting it in the dishwasher. "I don't want you hanging around that man."

The way he said it made it final, before Beth could even protest he was out the door and on his way to the office. And she was left fuming. She really hadn't wanted to resort to something like sneaking out. It was just as bad as lying. But she couldn't not go after saying she would.

XoXoXoXoX

An hour and a half later found Beth standing in front of her mirror examining her outfit. She'd chosen a black satin skirt that flowed nicely whenever she moved, it ended an inch above her knees. She wasn't one to wear tasteless skirts that ended mid thigh and flashed your ass to the world when ever you bent over. And she wore a black tank top to match and a red sweater over it. To complete the outfit she wore black boots ending just under her knees. She didn't do anything special with her hair, leaving it to hang down around her shoulders and face and trail down her back in waves.

Now the only problem was Alfred. She would have to go unnoticed by him. She had called a taxi twenty minutes ago and could see it now just pulling up outside the mansions gates waiting, she'd told the driver she would meet him out there, not to ring the main house for her. Sneaking out proved easier then she would have thought. Alfred was in the living room watching some British sports game, the television was more then loud enough to cover the sounds of her heeled boots and the quiet click of the door as it opened and closed again.

Beth was quite excited to be going actually. She hadn't gotten a chance to go out since she started school, or without Bruce or Alfred for that matter. It was a relief to go without seeing camera's or reporters which were nearly impossible to avoid when being driven around in Bruce's limo, and when with Bruce himself.

She paid the cabby once he'd let her off at the university and watched as he drove away before going inside.

"Excuse me, could you tell me where the lecture hall is?" She had stopped to ask a passing student.

"If you're here for Dr. Cranes lecture its nearly over."

"What?" Bethany asked dismayed.

She checked her watch quickly, the time was correct, his lecture should have been just starting. The girl never had time to respond, as a mass of students flooded out from the lecture hall that was just down the hall a few feet from where she and the other girl were standing. Crane came out just after them.

"I'm sorry, they changed the times." Crane said.

Bethany was disappointed to say the least. She had been looking forward to listening to him speak again. He must have seen the disappointment on her face.

"Let me take you out for dinner to make up for it." He offered, a charming smile on his lips and a sparkle in his eye.

There was a list of reasons that Bethany should have said no to this. He was at least ten years older then her and she knew next to nothing about him other then their shared love of psychology. Bruce would have a fit, probably murder her when he found out. But she didn't think of any of these.

"Alright, sounds good." She said with a smile.

"Great, I know a nice little place not far from here."

Crane dropped his satchel off in his car before they continued to walk to the restaurant. There was no point in driving, he'd told her, it was only a block away, and it was a beautiful night out. Warm, with just a light breeze. Good weather for fall. The walk to the restaurant was far from quiet, Jonathan kept up a steady stream of conversation, about his lecture at first, and then about Gotham, before he started asking her about herself.

She told him about her parents, and was about to tell him how they died when a scruffy looking man stopped in front of them, his arm outstretched, a gun in his hand.

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Yours truly, Velvet x


	8. Chapter 8

-^-^-Chapter 8 -^-^-

Bethany gasped softly, taking a small step back. He pointed the gun at her as he caught the movement. The threat in his actions clear. Move and die.

"I want all your money, cards and jewelery now!"

A wave of panic washed over her. She had nothing on her to give, she only had enough for a taxi home. She wanted to tell him as much, but she was afraid to speak, she knew enough of Gotham to know how desperate and cold its citizens could be. She watched enough of the news and heard enough from the students gossip at school.

But on the contrary Jonathan wasn't worried in the least. Because she was slightly behind him she couldn't see the small smile the crept across his lush lips. It was a twisted sort of smile, that hinted at danger. He knew he would never be physically threatening. He was lean with only a slim build that was hidden beneath his clothes. But he knew how to evoke fear in people. He devoted his life to the study of the human brain, and fear factored in quite bit. In fact, he found fear to be the easiest way to gain control of a persons mind. Fear was the key to control. And of course, he had the protection of the biggest crime lord of the city. Carmine Felcone.

"I think you want to leave." Jonathan told the man, the look in his eyes brokered no argument.

Apparently the mugger wasn't all that smart, or maybe he just didn't recognize the look in Crane's eyes. The look that spoke of very bad things to come if the man didn't take his chance to leave now. Rather then turning away the man just laughed. It was a sad sound, lacking any sort of warmth or happiness. And for a moment, just a moment, Bethany found herself feeling sorry for the man. What must have happened in his life to drive him to this point? Just as quick as the emotion was there, it was gone. Whatever had happened to him, he had choices. Life wasn't always easy, and there was no excuse to cause harm to another, nor threaten to harm.

"You're making a very big mistake."

To Beth, who still couldn't see Jonathan's face the words merely sounded like the sort of thing you said to talk someone down. But to the mugger, Crane's eyes held a very real threat. The force of the psychologists gaze made the man take pause, and take a quick step back. But again he only sneered. He wouldn't be scared away from a score by some pretty boy and his date. Reclaiming his ground the man stepped forward, his eyes focusing in on Bethany who had begun to rifle through her purse.

"What do you think you're doin' missy?" Anger flashed in his eyes. It was quite obvious he thought she was up to something, and to his credit she was, but she wasn't about to let him in on it.

Her hands shook as she pulled out her wallet, "You said you wanted our money..." She pointed out to him a lot more boldly then she actually felt.

"Don't get smart with me kid." He barked, waving the gun in her direction once more, causing her to flinch away from him.

*.*.*

The gunshot rang out through the night, catching the attention of Gotham's Dark Knight as he prowled the dark streets of the city in his quest to purge corruption. It wasn't an unfamiliar sound to the citizens of Gotham. To most it wasn't even note worthy anymore, so frequently did that sound sing out in the streets. But to the man who had dedicated his life to saving the city and its people it was a troubling thing to hear.

The Batman wasn't ready for the site that met his eyes when his bike rounded the corner of the street. And the last thing he expected was to feel the pounding of fear thrumming through his veins. It was unlike any fear he had felt before. Worse even then his fear for long time friend Rachel Dawes the night Falcone agreed to have her murdered for Crane. It was the fear a parent felt for their child. And it took everything he had to reign it in and take control of it.

Bethany was on her knees on the hard pavement of the side walk, her head ducked, as anxious fingers clutched at it as if to shield herself from attack. There was no telling if she was injured or not. Everything in him screamed at him to run to her side, to make sure she was alright. But logic in the end won out. He had to assess the situation and end the threat. And he couldn't risk exposing any kind of feelings for a girl, he as batman, shouldn't have any connections to. He couldn't give his enemies a target.

As Bruce turned his attention to the threat at hand he received another shock. None other then Dr. Jonathan Crane was standing over the now unstable mugger. The man was on the ground, muttering and clawing at himself, his soft whimpers quickly rose to screams of fear. It didn't take more then a few seconds for Bruce to put the situation together. Crane had somehow managed to dose the man with his fear toxin. In truth he was almost grateful, _almost,_ the doctor's quick thinking probably saved his life and that of Beth's, who was now sitting on the concrete taking in the scene before her to her father's great relief.

.*.*.

Everything had happened so fast. The mugger, who Beth had found out was a man named Ben Johnston, had taken a step forward intending on taking her wallet from her outstretched and shaking hand when Jonathan stepped between them.

"Get down!" He called over his shoulder, without a thought she obeyed him, flinging herself to her knees on the hard pavement and throwing her hands over her head. It wasn't until later at the police station that she noticed the scrapes on her knees. Funny how adrenaline can block things like that out.

There were the sounds of a scuffle, and the gun went off like a crack of thunder, she hadn't dared lift her head to look, what if Dr. Crane had been shot? What if Ben had been standing over her, getting ready to deliver the next shot to her? Only when the low thrum of a motorcycle reached her ears did she feel brave enough to lift her head and look.

She had wondered momentarily if she'd been knocked unconscious or maybe she was hallucinating from the stress. Either way, the new scene that met her eyes was completely baffling. Jonathan stood over Ben as the man whimpered and screamed, his words had made no sense what so ever. But that wasn't what had really caught her attention. Following Crane's gaze she locked eyes with none other then the Batman. Every where she had gone in Gotham he was talked about, he was in every newspaper and news broadcast, at the very least twice a week. He was the only man the criminals feared. Not a feat to be taken lightly. Meeting him then she knew why, just the sight of him was frightening.

To be truthful, she had thought him a joke, a grown man running around in a silly bat costume? Get serious. But then, meeting his fierce gaze she had shivered, she could understand the fear the criminals felt. And yet, there had been something oddly familiar in those eyes. Something...she just couldn't figure it out...

Before she had had anymore time to think on it he was gone, disappeared into the night as the sounds of sirens filled the air. A response to her hidden 911 call.

And now she found herself seated at the station, waiting for Bruce to pick her up. She cringed at the thought. He would be furious, she prayed the police wouldn't bring up Jonathan. It would only make the situation worse for him to know she'd snuck out to go to the lecture. Thankfully the police had taken the psychologists statement and let him leave.

Thinking about Jonathan was something else that bothered her. Seeing the mugger laid out like that, with Jonathan standing over him set off some alarm bells in her head. What on earth had she missed when she'd ducked down? For the first time she wondered if maybe she should have taken her fathers warning just a bit more seriously.

* * *

Sorry for the long time between updates...I kinda lost where I was going, but I think I've got it back ^^ So I hope you enjoyed this :)

Yours truly, Velvet x


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